Previews

Tom Clancy's HAWX

It may not be completely realistic, but from a pilot safety perspective, that's probably for the best.

Spiffy:

Intuitive controls in both Assistance On and Off modes; fantastic textures and atmospherics.

Iffy:

Wide-angle perspective in Assistance Off can be confusing in multiplayer.

Just yesterday, we were invited to an exclusive hands-on with the multiplayer in Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.. We've already covered the single-player controls in a previous preview, so the fact that those controls are almost perfectly replicated in the multiplayer (minus the toggle-able Enhanced Reality System that displays luminescent paths for evading missiles or making surgical strikes) meant that we were able to jump right into the cockpit, with downing bogeys next up on the schedule of activities. But blowing people out of the sky is only possible while you're still in that same sky, and HAWX's cinematic approach to air combat can be a little intimidating at first. But after only a few minutes flying with Assistance Off, you could be juking and jiving with the best of them.

Target Acquired

One of the major differences between the single-player and multiplayer components of HAWX is that, even though the controls are the same, there is an increased focus on flying with Assistance Off. While Assistance On (toggled by double-tapping the right trigger) is great for the single-player campaign due to its close chase-cam perspective and access to advanced flight aids like ERS, your maneuverability is hampered somewhat by a pesky computer that is busily attempting to correct your unsafe piloting. Switching to Assistance Off (double-tap the left trigger) is the recommended mode for multiplayer as it enables you to get a broader view of the battle and releases the computer-controls that keep your pilot from engaging in dangerous hijinks that in the real world could result in loss of consciousness. Apparently, HAWX pilots are not susceptible to the blackouts that result from crushing centrifugal force, so you can pull off some ridiculous moves and take full advantage of the stunning agility of today's modern fightercraft.

The most useful (and least-realistic) maneuver that can be executed in Assistance Off is an impossibly immediate 180-degree turn that confounds human fighter jocks every bit as well as it does your computer opponents in the single-player campaign. By cutting the engines, you can essentially go into an inertial freefall that proceeds along your original heading, but you are now free to rotate the plane in whatever direction you see fit. When your jet is facing backwards, laying on the thrust will almost instantly cancel your previous momentum and send you screaming in the opposite direction. It's also quite a sight to behold as the wider field of view provided by entering Assistance Off mode gives you a cinematic perspective that nicely captures the action.

As you can easily imagine, filling the sky with pilots who are all performing these stunts while launching missiles at even the briefest whine of the lock-on tone can become pretty hectic. Indeed, even in the two-on-two deathmatch battles in which we participated, the airspace quickly became criss-crossed with a gorgeous lattice of missile contrails punctuated by smudges caused by interaction with jetwash (turbulence left in the wake of a jet). But while it was beautiful, it could also be pretty confusing as well, especially in the larger four-on-four matches that HAWX supports. Fortunately, your HUD can tell the difference between friendlies and bogeys, so you at least don't have to worry about friendly fire.